GT Staff Roundtable: Florida vs. Missouri Predictions
Florida football will hope to enter the bye week on a two-game winning streak. The team standing in its way? None other than the team the Gators are riding a two-game losing streak against, Missouri.
Florida is set to travel to Columbia on Saturday for a 11 a.m. central time kickoff.
Can UF end the skid?
The GatorsTerritory staff share their predictions below:
JACQUIE FRANCIULLI: Oh the early kick off. Florida has not done well with those early kicks, and I imagine this game may be closer in the beginning than some would want.
A slow start could be dangerous against Missouri on the road, however, what helps is Florida's stamina (thanks Nick Savage). The Gators are a fourth quarter team, scoring 113 points in the final period, while Missouri has tallied just 30.
The Tigers' offense does have some issues, even with Kelly Bryant under center. Missouri has struggled to put together a run game together, while the Gators have done well against the run this season (LSU and South Carolina were the exceptions). On the other hand Missouri's defense can keep the Tigers in the game. The passing defense s good enough to cause some issues, however, I'm not sure Missouri will be able to provide any consistent pressure on Kyle Trask - that has been a problem for Mizzou this year - so Trask should have time to throw it.
The key for Florida is to put pressure on the quarterback and not self inflict any wounds early because Missouri is not a team built for comebacks. Florida 28, Missouri 14
COREY BENDER: Recording a road victory in the SEC is a difficult task as it is, but coming out on top against a program that has defeated you in consecutive years highlights that challenge even more, and that is what Florida is faced with for Saturday.
However, I don't expect tomorrow's matchup to yield results similar to the previous two meetings. Clemson transfer Kelly Bryant has been battling the injury bug at quarterback, while Mizzou's offense has produced just 21 points over the last three games. The Tigers are also 0-4 when recording less than 165 yards on the ground; Florida has only allowed 140 yards rushing against LSU and South Carolina, and currently leads the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss.
Given its excellence with forcing turnovers and wreaking havoc in the backfield, Florida will likely force Mizzou's hand and I don't believe the Tigers will be able to match the amount of firepower needed for four quarters.
As long as Kyle Trask has adequate time to operate in the pocket, I expect the Gators to snap their two-game skid against Mizzou. In seven starts since replacing Feleipe Franks, Trask has completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,011 yards and 19 touchdowns, while chipping in with a trio of rushing touchdowns as well.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, they will also not be revealing anything that Trask hasn't seen to this point. He has been as poised as somebody can be when stepping into a pivotal role mid-season, and is at his best when getting into an early rhythm and not forcing the issue. I think Trask does exactly that and the Gators pull away late in the third quarter behind a well-rounded offensive attack. Florida 30, Missouri 14
LAUREN REYNOLDS: For two years the Gators have fallen short to the Tigers, with some blaming the losses on attitude and having something to play for. This year, the mood is a little different going into this matchup. Instead of coming off a loss, they just finished out their home SEC schedule with a shutout win over Vanderbilt.
This is always a challenging matchup for Florida. Last year, they were outscored in just about every facet of the game. This year, with a defense that can really do some damage and Kyle Trask at the wheel for the offense, something might be a little different.
Trask doesn't let his feelings show much on the field, but expect him to go into this game with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. Last year, he got his first meaningful snaps in this game, and ended up getting injured later that week in practice. This year he'll be out to prove what he can do against this Missouri defense.
The Tigers have quarterback Kelly Bryant, a guy that may prove difficult to handle for the Gators. He's accurate in the air and can move on the ground as well. Plus, he's got guys like Larry Rountree III and Albert Okwuegbunam at his disposal.
I think this game will come down to defense. Both teams have an effective pass rush and strong secondaries. One thing that worries me a little is the fact that the Tigers are undefeated at home, but I think the Gators are capable of serving them their first loss in Columbia. Florida 31, Missouri 24
TANNER DENNIE: The Gators head to Missouri to face a Tigers team that they historically haven't had a lot of success with.
The Tigers should have Clemson quarterback transfer Kelly Bryant back from his knee injury he suffered against Troy, and I expect their offense to spread the ball around to their playmakers.
On the defensive side, the Tigers possess a solid linebacker corps and talented defensive backs that could see success when they face a young Florida offensive line, especially if Ethan White gets the nod to start if Brett Heggie is not cleared to go.
Trask has done everything that is asked of him, throwing for 363 yards against Vanderbilt, which was the most since Tim Tebow's final game in a Gator uniform. The running game is a little bit better for, but it's not at the standard that it should be at this late into the season. However, I expect Florida's pass rush to be the difference in this game against Bryant, who might not be 100%. Florida 31, Missouri 27
JOSEPH HASTINGS: As mentioned above, Florida hasn't had much recent success against Missouri as they've been outscored 83-33 in their previous two matchups, but these losses are a little misleading.
The first loss in 2017 came just under a week after head coach Jim McElwain was fired. Last year's defeat was following a loss to Georgia that essentially ended their run at the SEC East crown.
In this year's game, however, the Gators are coming off a dominant 56-0 victory over Vanderbilt and are still in a position, albeit an unlikely one, to make the SEC championship.
UF signal caller Kyle Trask is having an incredible season through the air as he's had at least 250 yards passing in four of his seven starts this fall. In four of their last five conference games, Florida has also gained at least 132 yards rushing as a team.
Mullen and company certainly will have their offense put to the test as Missouri's defense has done well in some areas this season. The Tigers (5-4) are allowing just over 19 points and 147.7 yards per game through the air.
Where Florida can take advantage in this matchup is on the ground. Missouri is giving up 140.1 rushing yards per game and has allowed 11 total rushing touchdowns.
In my opinion, UF will need to slow this game down on the road and control time of possession, which goes against their pass-heavy outings with Trask at quarterback. I believe it will be close, but the Gators will pull away late to improve to 9-2 on the season. Florida 24, Missouri 14
